Sectional floor rack



G. F. ZAUN.

SECTIONAL FLOOR RACK.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 16, 1920.

Patented Feb. 7, 1922.

M. 2. m. a

UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE F. 'ZAUN, OF SAN BERNABDINO, CALIFORNIA.

SECTIONAL FLOOR RACK.

To all whom it may concern: v

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. ZAUN, a

citizen of the United'States, residing at San Bernardino, in the county of San Bernardino and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Sectional Floor Racks, of which the following is a specification. n

This invention relates to sectional floor racks and has for an object the provision of a floor rack or floor racks which will pre- ,7

sent a smoothsurface on either side of. said rack or racks. Another object is the provision of a floor rack 'or floor racks which may be placed within a refrigerator box car and which floor racks may be either placed on the floor of the car or in an inoperative position against a side wall of the car, and which racks when so placed against a side wall of thecar will present a smooth surface so that objects may be stored against the same without any fear of damage to said objects. v i Another object is the provision of a series of floor racks,'each rack of which goes to form a unit and which units combine with other units, when desired. In practicing the invention I dinal and transverse members and which 7 racks are hinged or pivotally held to a por-, tion of the interior of the car, so that each individualsection may berevolved into an operative position on the floor .or an inoperative position againstthe side wall thereof. The racks are so constituted that one rack at a time may be lowered to thefioor of the car and articles such as boxes placed thereon, a rack at a time.

It has been found that in shipping fruit in refrigerator box cars a circulation of air throughout the car is necessary. To accomplish a. circulation, it is customary to provide some form of removable rack upon which boxes containing fruit or'perishable goods are placed. Usually the exchange handling the perishable goods, provides racksand when the load reaches its destinathe same. hinged, the racks will move as the load provide a serles of racks having superposed long1tu- Application filed June 16,1920. Serialll'o. 389,531.

end thereof to the car floor or the car wall. In fact, the hinge is of a continuous nature; that is to say, there is a series ofsockets Specification of'Letters Patent. Patented Feb, "7, 1922,

car should be made. Each section going to compose the floor racks is hinged at one arranged upon the floor of the car near a wall thereof and a series of sockets on each" of the floor rack sections. {A long pin is run through each of said sockets. Each floor rack extends substantially in length the entire width ofthe car and each section in addition ismade of a width 'sufiicient so that trucking may be performed on the smooth floor up to the floor rack and the boxes trucked, thereto readily placed thereon without the necessity of trucking over the floor racks. When one floor rack section has been filled, another floor rack sectionis lowered and it in turn covered with boxes. When bothsides of the car have been filled, a press may be run in between i the two racks and the loads contained on" said racks moved in order tocompactly store As the racks are universally moves, thus aiding in the compact arrangement of the same, H

I likewise provide racks intended to fit with n the doorways of the car. The headers now used in refrigerator box cars] are standard in height ant that no object'be placed upon the floor which will so raise the height of the-floor thatthere will not be 'sufiicient clearance for the head of an operator who is trucking material within the interior of the car. If

it is a requirement it. were intended to use racks that were on the floor at alltimes,it would be necessary to cut the door-head slightly, but inasmuch as the pri'ncipalbracing elements of the car are contained above and below the doorhead, this would perceptibly weaken the car construction. Accordingly, I provide floor racks which are provided with swinging levers which allow the floor racks to be raised from the fioorof the-car at. the entrance doors thereof andswung to the roof of the car and held. suspended-when soswu'ngby lock means. I I

After the car has been unloaded, each of position against-a side wall of the car and releasable means are provided for holding each of the racks in an inoperative position.

And when the racks are so held in an inthe racks maybe swung into an inoperative operativ 7 position, a smooth surface is presented so that the car may be readily reloaded without any damage to any material placed therein, as has been mentioned.

The invention has for further objects the provision of improved sectional floor racks .Which will be superior in point ofv relative j Inthedrawing: Figure 1 1s a fragmentary isometric view of a refrigerator box car with improved sectional floor racks arranged therein;

j. Figure 2 isa cross sectional end elevation illustrating the manner which a hinged sectional floor rack may be revolved to the floor of the car or against a side wall thereof; v

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side elevation and taken on the line m w Figure 2, and looking in the direction of the appended arrows; I

Figure 4 is cross sectional end elevation showing certain features of construction, and takenonthe line m*00, Figure 3, and looking in the direction of the appended arrows;

. Figure 5 is a sectional end elevation showing thev general arrangement and construction of floor racks used at the entrance openin s of'the refrigerator box car;

igure 6 is an isometric perspective view, parts being shown fragmentarily, of certain details of construction of the rack member adjacent the bulk-head wall of a refrigerator box car.

Corresponding parts in all the figures are designated by the same reference characters.

"Referring with particularity to the drawing, A designates a refrigerator box car in which there isa bulkhead wall a located at one end of thecar A. B designates the floor racks.

v The floor racks B comprise in the main transverse members 1 and longitudinal members 2 andt3. Referring to the drawing, it will BQIObSGIfVB'Cl that the longitudinal members 2 and 3 are superposed and that the members 1 act as binders therefor. Each of the racks B comprises a plurality of longitudinal and transverse members, and the longitudinal members are superposed one above the other. Each of theracks B may be made up of a plurality of the superposed longitudinal members 2and 3 and each of the longitudinal members are spaced from one another so as to provide an air space.

A plurality of sectional racks B is provided upon each side of the car. Each of the rack members B is of a longitudinal length sufficient so that upon revolving the same from a position as 5 to a position shown as 6 in Figure 2, the rack B will extend practically the width of the car. Each of the rack sections B is provided with socketed portions 7 and the floor 8, as at 9, is provided with a series of sockets 10. A long pin alternately runs through the sockets 10 on the floor 8 and the sockets 7 connected to the sections B. This arrangement, of course,;provides means by which each of the sections on one side of the car may be hingedly mounted. When the rack sections B are revolved into a position such as shown'at 5 in Figure 2, a means such as 10 serves to retain the rack sections B in an upright position.

The bulkhead wall a, shown at one end of the refrigerator box car, as 11, may be revolved from its position as shown in Figure3, as 12, upwardly as shown by the dotted line to the position 13. This is standard practice and it is customary to revolve the bulkhead wall (6 into such a position as 13 when the car has finally reached its destination and it is not to be used as a refrig V erator car upon itsrreturn trip. Thebulkhead wall a when revolved tothe position 95 13 may be locked and the space originally confined by the bulkhead wall, which space as 14 was intended to contain'ice, may now be utilized for storing goods, wares or merchandise. However, as the bulkhead .wall (6 is of a width corresponding to the width of the car, it would ordinarily be impossible to. swing the bulkhead wall a. intothe position 13 shown in Figure 3 if all the rack 7 members B were pivotally joined or'hinged to the car. Therefore, one of the rack mem bers B, as Z), is longitudinally hinged as at 15 so that said rack Z) may revolve upon itself as shown in Figure 3. lVhen the revolving process has been accomplished, a I

space is left so' that the bulkhead wall a may be revolved into an inoperative position adjacent the roof of thecar, after which the rack I) may then be returned to its normal position and then revolved against the side wall of the car as at 16, Figure 4.

It will be observed that eachof the hinged rack members B vhas the top longitudinal members 2 with their ends projecting beyond thelower longitudinal members as 3, and in order thatthe rack member 5 may likewise present a top surface equal in longitudinal length to longitudinal members 2 an end portion as 17 of the same is hinged, as at 18. It is necessalry'that the end portion as 17 be hinged so as'to. drop down in order that when the bulkhead wall a is revolved into an'inoperative posit-ion, as shown at 13, the bulkhead wall may rest upon the ends 19 and 20 presented by the plish this, I provide each-f the racks 0 with hinged end portion of the member I) and, the member '17 respectively. If the member 7),

constituting one of the rack members B, should be made of a longitudinal length,

corresponding to the longitudinal length of the other. rack members,'the height would be too great so thatit could notbe revolved against a sidewall of the car, and yet-atthe same time have the bulkhead wall a in an a pair of pivoted lever arms ea Referring to] Figure which illustrates the method by which the racks 0 are joined to the respective lever arms 6, it will be ob served that whenone of the racks as'at 21 has been revolved from the position shown by the Roman numerals-I, II and III and to the final'position IV, it will be seen that the racks c havesimply turned upon the arms 6 as at 22. In position I shown by dotted lines the rack has been maintained against the roof of the, scar. At position II the lever arms 6 have moved upon an arc and the rack nowhangs directly downward. At position III the rack has been tipped sufficiently so that an end portion as 23 will be ready to contact with the floor 8, and at position IV the rack .is now resting upon the floor. When the rack is in an elevated position, as shown inpositio'n I, Figure 5, by dotted lines, it may be locked to the roof of the car by means 24c which may comprise angle hooks. .The lever arms 6 are joined to eye brackets 25 as at 26 and 27 and 28 and 29. Thus it will be seen that all trucking may be within the car and may be upon the smooth floor surface 8 of the car,.only such racks B being lowered as the load in the car gradually increases and additional racks are necessary. Thus there will be no trucking over the racks. WVhen the car has been filled up to the door portions, one of .the racks 0 may be lowered by the method just described and said rack filled, after which the other may be lowered and that rack filled. The particular arrangement shown therefor complies with all lawful require-' ments in that the racks 0 may be placed into or out of position and held when in an inoperative position. I likewise provide spring hooks 80 in the form of the figure 4: and which spring hooks cooperate with each of. the pivoted lever arms 6 and serve to retain said lever arms in an upward position, as shown in Figure 5. By making the spring hooks in the form of a figure 4 thenose portion will allow the lever arms 6 to be pushed up and hooked similarly to the action of a door catch. -1The members 30 likewise act to prevent the racks c fromin any manner becoming loose when arranged adjacent, the roof of the car and descending on the head or heads of any person or persons entering the car.

It is obvious that many changes, variations and modifications-.maybe made in departure from the particular description and the showing 'ofthe accompanying drawing, and adapting the invention to varying conditions and requirements in use and service, without departing from the true spirit of the invention. I b 7 What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Afloor rack having angularly related superposed members spaced to provide airopenings said superposed members being arranged in'longitudmal and transverse series; with the said longitudinal members mounted on opposite sides of said transverse members.

2. In a floor rack, the combination, with floor rack may either be revolved into a position on the floorof the car .or against a side wall thereof.

' 8. In a floor rack, thecombination, with the floorrack having transverse members with longitudinal members mounted on oppositerfaces of said transverse members spacedly arranged to provide air openings,- a refrigerator box car and means by which said floorv rack may be pivotally mounted within said car whereby the ,floor rack may either be revolved into a position on the floor of'the car or against a side wall thereof; 7

means being provided for holding the floor rack when arranged against a side wall of the car. i I

4. In a floor rack, the combination, with the floor rack having angularly related su- 1 perposed members arranged in longitudinal and transverse series and spacedto provide air openings, with the said longitudinal members mounted on opposite sides of the said transverse members, a refrigerator box car, and means by Which'said floor rack may be pivotally mounted within said car, whereby the floor rack may'either be revolved into a position on the floor of the car or against a side wall thereof, and means for retaining said rack when in the latter position.

5. In combination, sectional floor racks, having transverse members with longitudinal members mounted on opposite faces of nal members mounted on opposite faces of.

said transverse members spacedly arranged from each other to provide air openings, a refrigerator box car, and means by which said racks are hingedly mounted within and to the car, whereby the racks may be removably held on the floor of the car or maintained in an upright position against a side wall of the car; means being provided for retaining the racks when in an upright position.

7 In a refrigerator box car, the combination, with the refrigerator car provided with an ice bulkhead wall adapted to be swung from an operative position to an inoperative position adjacent the roof of the car, floor racks, each one of which forms a unit section; said floor racks comprising transverse members provided with longitudinal members'mounted on opposite faces thereof with said members spacedly arranged from each v other; means by vwhich said sections are hingedly mounted to and within said car; a unit section adjacent the bulkhead wall being hinged longitudinally to allow a portion of same to be revolved upon itself and thus permit the bulkhead wall to be freely swung from an operative to an inoperative position.

8. In a refrigerator box car, the combination, with the refrigerator car provided with anice bulkhead wall adapted to be swung froman operative position to an inoperative position adjacent the roof of the'car, floor racks, each one of which forms a unit section, and means by which said sections are hingedly mounted to and Within said car; a unit section adjacent the bulkhead wall being hinged longitudinally to allow a portion of same to be revolved upon itself and thus permit the bulkhead wall to be freely swung from an operative to an inoperative position; said last named section likewise being provided with hinged extensions, whereby when the bulkhead wall is in an inoperative position said section may be freely placed against a side wall of the car and will'serve to retain the bulkhead wall in its inoperative position. v

9. In a floor rack, the combination, with the floor rack having transverse members provided with longitudinal members mounted on opposite faces of said transverse members with said members spacedly arranged to provide air openings, a refrigerator box car, and means for removably holding said rack either on the floor of said car or suspended adjacent the roof thereof.

10. In a floor rack, the combination, with the floor rack having transverse members provided with longitudinal members mounted on opposite faces of said transverse members with said members spacedly arranged to provide a1r openmgs, a refrigerator box car, and means for removably holding said rack either on the floor of sand car or suspended adjacent-the roof thereof; and means likewise being provided for locking the rack when so suspended. v 11, In combination, sectional 'floor racks having transverse members provided with longitudinal members mounted on opposite faces'of said transverse members with said members spacedly arranged to provide-air openings, a refrigerator box car, and means for removably holding said racks either on the floor of said car or suspended adjacent the roof thereof. I I In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. V r

- l GEORGE 'F. ZAUN.' Witnesses:

L. BUTLE J. H. VVoR'rmNG'ro 

